Pedro Almodovar puts the "cock" in cockpit with I'M SO EXCITED!

   

            The majority of the film takes place on a transatlantic flight going from Spain to Mexico. Due to technical failure, the airplane is flying in circles in La Mancha, Spain, and as the plane moves on a course without a destination, so does the episodic plot of I’m So Excited! Spanish Filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar, is an international treasure that isn’t afraid to push queer cinema to the peak of jaw-dropping and campy flavor. His insights behind the kitschy quirks of the gay community, women and theatrics are like a breath of fresh air. When so many filmmakers concern themselves with bringing homosexuality into the political limelight or as the victims of repression, Almodovar creates individuals, who so happen to be gay, transgender or sexually promiscuous. There is neither judgment nor holding back hedonistic pleasures.

            I’m So Excited! is a raunchy comedy in which the flight crew drugs the coach passengers with sedatives and consort and deal with the business class, a handful of prickly and bizarre characters that represent the entitled upper class of Spanish society. The stars of the film, and the funniest elements, are the gay flight attendants who indulge in an endless string of booze, drugs, sex and gossip. The gay trio, played by Javier Camarra (Almodovar regular), Raul Arevalo and Carlos Areces, makes up the film’s comedic highlight. They are aware that the plane could crash, and similar to the medical unit in Robert Altman’s MASH, they act in a relentless hysteria to block the idea of death.

            Unfortunately, the best scene in the film can be seen in the trailer; the flight attendants, drugged on a heavy dose of mescaline, perform a flamboyant and slapstick dance number to the Pointer Sisters “I’m So Excited”, and once it’s over, well, it’s back to a lagging plot and kinky dialogue exchange that never tops that single scene of spontaneous musical combustion. Pedro Almodovar is going back to his sexual comedic roots of the 80’s, such as Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and the hilarious, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, but in I’m So Excited!, the separate storylines hardly converge, creating a bumpy and uneven 90 minutes, with characters that aren’t fully fleshed out. When the story tries to blend character and relationship struggles, along with themes relating to repressed homosexuality, Almodovar teeters from the ridiculous to the serious, unable to grasp a coherent tone.

       The look of the film, particularly the set of the airplane, has a charming and colorful stage-quality. A hodgepodge of bright colors—such as red, light blue and pink—gives the film a European, pop-art essence. This time around, the camera is  static; the editing and camera movements are minimal, which emphasizes the dialogue and abrupt sexual encounters (typical Almodovar). However, the sexual content doesn’t seem as shocking or outlandish as his previous efforts.

             The manic concept behind I’m So Excited! has excellent potential for a more John Water-ish trash-type of cinema. Too bad filmmakers would have trouble getting distribution for a throwback midnight movie from the 70’s.  I’m So Excited! is an original and flavorful creation, but the laughs are far and few between. Pedro Almodovar is a one-of-a-kind filmmaker, but in the new millennium, his dramatic pieces resonate deeper than his comedies. 

**1/2 (out of four stars)